video-dev/hls.js

Health v2 · maintenance only

Flags: no_license

Adoption not part of the score

16899 stars · 2751 forks observed · 2026-08-28

What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-29, confidence not recorded

HLS.js is a JavaScript/TypeScript library that implements an HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) client for browsers, relying on HTML5 video and MediaSource Extensions. It transmuxes MPEG-2 TS and AAC/MP3 streams into ISO BMFF (MP4) fragments asynchronously via a Web Worker, supporting VOD, live, DVR, and Low-Latency HLS playback.

Use cases

• play HLS streams in browsers without native HLS support
• build a custom web video player with adaptive bitrate streaming
• play back live streams with DVR and low-latency HLS
• transmux MPEG-2 TS segments to fMP4 in the browser
• support HEVC, AV1, and Dolby Vision playback where the browser allows
• test and debug HLS stream playback in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari

When to choose

• you need HLS playback in browsers lacking native HLS support (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
• you want fine-grained control over quality levels, audio tracks, and error recovery
• you need low-latency or DVR live streaming in a web app
• you want a dependency-free library that works on a standard <video> element

When to avoid

• you only target Safari or iOS, which have native HLS playback
• you need DASH or other non-HLS streaming formats
• you need a full-featured player UI out of the box rather than a playback engine
• your target environment lacks MediaSource Extensions support

Facets

library · maturity stable

video-processing streaming media web-development browser cross-platform hls mediasource-extensions video-player adaptive-streaming transmuxing mpeg-ts fmp4 low-latency-hls video web-server

Member repositories

For agents

markdown · JSON · MCP: product_card(name="video-dev/hls.js")